{"id":66475,"date":"2017-03-20T12:04:43","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T12:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/\/uncategorized\/beginners-nutrition-are-you-overthinking-your-diet"},"modified":"2021-11-22T01:15:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T06:15:40","slug":"beginners-nutrition-are-you-overthinking-your-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/beginners-nutrition-are-you-overthinking-your-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Beginner’s Nutrition: Are You Overthinking Your Diet?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Crazy training methods are one thing. You\u2019re up for anything, but diet plans are a whole other world<\/strong>. After all, where talking body chemistries, hormone reactions, and even possible blood types to sift through. Dieting isn\u2019t a simple discipline, is it?<\/p>\n

These days it seems that the more complex a program, plan, or theory is the more effective it probably is<\/strong>. It must be right? I mean, someone with a ton of know-how must have come up with these sophisticated methods; someone with knowledge, experience, and the wherewithal required to make the plan work. Simple things just aren\u2019t worth your time; you need science, testimonials, and a great backstory.<\/p>\n

Okay, let\u2019s sit down, take a deep breath, and take this one step at a time<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Don’t Get Insane Over Eating<\/h2>\n

Eating food is something we have to do so there\u2019s no getting around that fact<\/strong>. But when we start acting too human is when we run into trouble. We are analytical by nature. Over the last few 100 years or so we have managed to categorize, plan, and dissect nearly every aspect of our lives. It gives us a sense of control\u2014control over how we will move forward, hopefully for the better.<\/p>\n

But as with many things in our increasingly, and sometimes self-sabotaging life, the pendulum swings to the other side and we resort back to our ancestral days of doing things. For example, consider how diets were handled just a few years ago; every calorie and macronutrient was counted, logged, and analyzed. This held true for a significant amount of time. If it seems \u201csciencey\u201d then it has to be a good thing, right<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Lately, the pendulum has swung its bulbous-self all the way over to the other extreme of paleo diets and intermittent fasting<\/a>, just to name two. These are more instinctually-based approaches<\/strong> that are derived from our former relatives a few thousand years ago.<\/p>\n

This has all lead to a very frustrated audience<\/strong>; the types who make up the general public are poised to hear the latest craze and the testimonials, and also the research to back it up\u2014get ready for some marketing hype.<\/p>\n

But, the question begs: have we changed all that much? Is the perfect plan still out there<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Building Blocks of an Eating Plan<\/h2>\n

In all my years of studying nutrition and dieting for bodybuilding shows, getting my body fat down in the single digits (the low single digits), and helping the general public to work out their nutrition frustrations, always goes back to a simple idea. That idea is comprised of simple, balanced eating replete with natural, whole foods in moderation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Fads of extremes, crazy habits, exact meal timing, and exclusivity of certain foods only seem to quickly fade away<\/strong> to make room for the next \u201cbig thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, simple is the way to go, as with most things in life. Think about it; does hard work, discipline, and the right mindset work more in your favor than cute little hacks to try and cheat the system<\/a>? With that said, simple doesn\u2019t necessarily mean easy<\/strong>. Hard work and discipline can be a grind as well as adhering to a balanced diet.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick and simple breakdown of what any healthy diet should consist of<\/strong>:<\/p>\n